Quite simply, when you live in a world where tolerance isn't even a dream, the last thing that you want to do is to stand out as being different than everyone else. So it should be no surprise that the relatively few Christians, at least those that lived to tell the tale, held their ceremonies and holidays on the same days as everyone else did. No doubt by doing that, those transitioning to Christianity also found it much easier as well.

In Roman times, the most popular religion was Mithraism. And guess when Mithras' birth date was celebrated. It was Dec. 25, of course. The peoples of Europe held their major celebrations then too. As time passed, and the minority religion became the majority religion, it became the owner of the holiday.

So why all of the fuss today? It is because there is some comfort in retaining long established traditions such as Christmas, and today's cultural fluidity threatens that stability. My view is that relying on stability in the world around us can produce nothing but disappointment.

Stability is only achieved internally but that is another story.

Herbert Sweet

Hyde Park

A rise in gun violence, despite state law

I'm writing with regard to your Dec. 30 article claiming an increase of shootings in Poughkeepise over the past year ( "Crime Beat: Spike in gun violence seen in 2013"). Reporter Roberto Cruz must have made a mistake as the article is simply is not believable.

In January 2013, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the "nation's toughest gun control law" thereby making it impossible for such events to occur. In addition, Mayor John Tkazyik has been a member of so-called Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) for years and has allowed his name to be used in numerous citizen disarmament campaigns orchestrated by MAIG at the state and federal levels. Tkazyik even accepted a personal campaign contribution from MAIG founder Michael Bloomberg.

In light of these facts, I do not see how your story could possibly be accurate.

I trust the editor will deliver suitable denunciation to Cruz for such "shoddy" reporting.

Jacob Rieper

vice president of legislative and political affairs, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association

Pine Plains

County must continue support for college

Ending county support for Dutchess Community College (DCC), as suggested by Dutchess County legislator Michael Kelsey in the Poughkeepsie Journal on Dec. 22, is a very bad idea ( "Ending ties with DCC aids county, college").

Though DCC represents very considerable positive economic power for the good of the county, by far its main value is as the extraordinarily valuable resource it has proved to be for improving the lives of the county's people. Education and training available at DCC cannot be matched at its cost here, by any institution anywhere in or outside our region, where Dutchess County people might attend. Dropping county support for DCC would surely change this unique educational advantage, and not for the better.

Every county dollar supporting DCC brings more than two more dollars, from state and students, into the county's economy. This money mostly stays here: in salaries paid here, paying for purchases made here, paying for services done here. Does Legislator Kelsey really expect this to continue if the county drops support for DCC?

One more thing. The language Legislator Kelsey uses in proposing the taking away of county support for DCC is, in my opinion, a good deal less than straightforward. He writes of "subsidy," "taxpayer-funded drift," "patronage." He seems to suggest the county is giving tax money away for no good purpose. He could not be more wrong.

Tom Olsen

adjunct professor of English and newswriting, Dutchess Community College

LaGrange

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Letters to the Editor: 1/5

Charles Haynes, in his Dec. 24 commentary, was right on the mark ? the Christmas celebration predates the Christians ( ''War on Christmas' just a figment of the imagination'). So how did the